When will Canadians find the courage to legalize cocaine? What about all the other drugs, for that matter? Since marijuana has become an election issue, we should stop wasting time and just talk about all drugs at once. cont. reading

Is it time to make distracted driving a criminal offence? By distracted, I mean staring at our cellphones, of course. If you’re reading this behind the wheel of your car, you probably don’t think so. cont. reading

The federal government’s pardons backlog is a crime against the vulnerable

Have you ever thought finding a job was impossible? Most of us have at one time or another. But imagine looking for work with a criminal record holding you back. Then imagine knowing that Canadian law says you’re eligible to have that criminal record removed — and that it should have been done years ago. cont reading.

By Michael Ashby, Director, National Pardon Centre

You haven’t struggled to find work until you’ve struggled to find work with a criminal record tied to your back. Perhaps this is the reason Canada’s pardon program is such an astonishing success. And yet the Conservative government is happy to ignore this fact. But with less than 4 per cent of offenders granted a pardon ever committing another crime, common sense tells us there is not much room for improvement. cont. reading

By Michael Ashby, Director, National Pardon Centre

It’s hard to understand how keeping Canadians from finding a decent job adds up to being tough on crime. But that is what the Conservative government has done with a section of its omnibus crime legislation Bill C-10. Perhaps there is hope in knowing that several measures from the bill have already been shot down by the courts. cont. reading

By Michael Ashby, Director, National Pardon Centre

If ever there was an example of beating a dead horse, it is the continuing prohibition of marijuana in the 21st century. The propaganda campaign failed so completely that most Canadians no longer believe marijuana is worth worrying about. Since the federal Conservatives are escalating the war on drugs, we have to wonder who they think they’re kidding. cont. reading

By Michael Ashby, Director, National Pardon Centre

Canadians need to stop framing the marijuana issue in the timeless tradition of good vs. bad. We have to get past the medical argument, the gateway argument, the economic argument, the addiction argument, the failure of the war on drugs argument and many others. It’s not a question of right or wrong.cont. reading